Cocking mechanism for guns.



No. 865,310. PATENTED SEPTL3, 1907. G. P. LBFEVER.

COOKING MECHANISM FOR GUNS APPLIOATION FILED APR. 2. 1898.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS No. 865,310. PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907. G. F. LEFEVER.

COOKING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2,1898.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

% WII/WW m I Y B I WITNESSES: 1 VENTOR fllbf Ma, 9' BY ATTORN EY-S,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. LEFEVER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LEFEVER ARMSCOMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COOKING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

Application filed April 2, 1898- Serial No. 676,180.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. LEFEVER, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Cooking Mechanism for Guns, of which the following,taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a full, clear, andeXact description.

My invention relates to cocking mechanism for breech-loading guns, andthe object thereof is to provide such mechanism which is particularlysimple in construction, economical in manufacture, and efficient anddurable in use.

To this end, the invention comprises the parts, and the combinations andarrangements of component parts to be hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is susceptible of various embodiments, but for the purposeof clearly disclosing the same, I have illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and shall hereinafter describe in connection therewith, whatis now conceived to be a preferable embodiment.

In these drawings-Figures 1 and 2 are elevations, partly in section, ofa portion of a gun equipped with my cocking mechanism, the barrels beingshown in their normal positions in Fig. 1, and as broken or dropped inFig. 2. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the portion of agun seen in the preceding figures, the fore-end being removed, and thebarrels being shown in the position assumed when about to bedisconnected from the breech. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of therear ends of the gun-barrels seen in the preceding figures. Fig. 5 is anisometric view of the hammers and cocking lever detached from the othermechanism of the gun.

My cocking mechanism includes generally a cocking lever A, associatedwith the hammer or hammers a of the gun, engaging means B associatedwith the barrel or barrels b of the gun, and engaging means associatedwith, or constituting a part of, the cocking lever coacting with themeans B. The cocking lever A is usually connected to the hammers a witha lost motion, being here illustrated as having its rear end fixed tothe hammer-pivotal pin a, which is provided with feathers or keys 0},movable in key-ways or grooves a in the journal-openings of saidhammers.

My invention contemplates the provision of means associated with thehammer or hammers and cooperating with the means B for cocking thehammers during the dropping of the barrels and for arresting the dropthereof, which means is separable from the means B while the hammers arein their uncooked or cocked position, and when the barrels are in asubstantially closed position, so that by a slight endwise movement ofthe latter they may be detached from the breech.

A further object contemplated is a construction in which an increasingleverage is obtained for cocking the hammers as the barrels attain thelimit of their breaking or dropping movement for the purpose ofcompensating for the increasing tension of the main springs of thehammers.

The engaging means associated with the hammers, contemplated by theinvention preferably includes an elongated bearing surface normallylocated above and substantially in front of the means B and unobstructedat one end, and a second surface or abutment at the opposite end of thefirst surface and disposed at an angle thereto for the purpose ofarresting the travel or slidable movement of the element B along saidelongated surface, as will hereinafter appear. The element B preferablyoccupies a position in close proximity to the unobstructed end of thefirst surface when the barrels are in substantially closed position, sothat by a slight endwise movement of the latter the element B may beentirely disengaged from said surface. Said element B is here shown as ashoulder projecting from the inner faces of a groove 11 which is formedin the barrel-lug b and receives the free end of the cocking lever.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in thedrawings, the elongated surface slid-ably engaged by the element B toeffect the cocking of the hammers is provided by the underside a of thebill of a hook formed integral with the cocking lever A, and the secondsurface or abutment is provided by the inner side of the bail a of thehook or the portion joining the bill to the main body, said hook forminga rigid extension of the cocking lever. As will be noted, the spacebetween the body and the bill constitutes a slot at in which the elementB is guided; this slot having its front end closed to arrest themovement of the element B, and its rear end unobstructed and openingthrough the upper face of the lever A to permit the element B to passentirely out of said slot. As will be appreciated, in the breaking ordropping of the barrels, the element B travels from its normal restingpoint, toward the closed end of the slot, thus gradually increasing theleverage of the cocking lever A as the tension of the hammer-springs isincreased. and when the element B abuts against the second surface thefurther dropping of-the barrels is arrested. It will be understood,however, that before the element B comes into engagement with the secondsurface or abutment, the hammers a are engaged by suitable sears a,which act in the well known manner for holding the hammers in theircocked positions. When the barrels are being closed, the element Btravels along the surface a and as said barrels reach the limit of theirclosing movement, the element B substantially passes from beneath thesurface a which, even when the hammers are uncooked, is arranged out ofthe path in which the element B is movable with the barrels during thedetachment and replacement of the barrels. The barrels b, as here shown,are so connected to the breech of the gun that when the fore-end b isremoved and the barrels slightly broken, as illustrated in Fig. 3, theymay have a limited endwise movement rearwardly, in order that theelement 13 may be entirely disengaged from the elongated surface, ormoved entirely out of the slot at, thus freeing the barrels so as topermit upward movement of the rear ends of the same independently oi thecockinglever, and the subsequent detachment of the barrels from thebreech.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a double-barreled gun isshown, and the invention has been described particularly in connectiontherewith, but it is obvious that my mechanism is equally applicable ina single-barreled gun.

The construction and operation of my cocking mechanism will be readilyunderstood upon reference to the foregoing description and accompanyingdrawings, and it will be apparent that considerable change may be madein the details of construction and arrangement of the component parts.without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a hammer and a barrel,of engaging tmeans associated with the barrel, an elongated surfaceassociated with the hammer slidably engaged by said means during thedropping of the barrel for cooking the hammer, and a second surfaceengaged by said means to arrest dropping of the barrel, said meanssubstantially passing from beneath the end of the first surface as thebarrel reaches a substantially closed position, substantially as and forthe purpose speci fied.

2. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a barrel, a hammer anda cooking lever, of an elongated bearing surface rigid with the lever,substantially unobstructed at one end and having an abutment at itsopposite end, and engaging means associated with the barrel occupying aposition adjacent the unobstructed end of the surface when the barrel isin closed position, and traveling along said surface and coactingtherewith to shift the cocking lever as the barrel is dropped, andengaging said abutment at the limit of its travel to arrest the droppingof the barrel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a barrel, a hammer anda cooking lever, of parts rigid with the barrel and cocking lever andcoacting with each other for shifting the cocking lever during thedropping of the barrel and for arresting the movement of the barrel, thepart associated with the cocking lever having its surface for coactingwith the part associated with the barrel to shift the cocking leverduring the dropping of the barrel, arranged when the hammer is uncocked,out of the path in which the part associated with the barrel movesduring the detachment and replacement of the barrel, substantially asand for the purpose described.

4. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a barrel, a hammer anda cocking lever, of parts rigid with the barrel and cocking lever andslidably coacting with each other for shifting the cocking lever duringthe dropping of the barrel said parts coacting with each other forarresting the movement of the barrel, the part associated with thecocking lever having its surface for coacting with the part associatedwith the barrel to shift the cocking lever during the dropping of thebarrel, normally arranged substantially in front of the path in whichthe part associated with the barrel moves during the removal andreplacement of the barrel, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a barrel, a hammer anda cocking lever, of an element rigid with the barrel, engaging surfaceson the lever at gradually increasing distances from the pivot thereofsaid surfaces being rigid with the lever and coacting with said elementfor shifting the cocking lever as the barrel is dropped, and a surfacedisposed at an angle to the other surfaces for arresting the dropping ofthe barrel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a barrel, a hammer anda cocking lever, of an element rigid with the barrel, engaging surfaceson the lever at gradually increasing distances from the pivot thereofsaid surfaces being rigid with the lever and coacting with said elementfor shifting the cocking lever as the barrel is dropped, and a surfacedisposed at an angle to the other surfaces for arresting the dropping ofthe barrel, said firstmentioned surfaces, when the hammer is uncooked,being arranged out of the path in which said element is movable with thebarrel during the detachment and replacement of the barrel,substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a breech loading gun, the combination with a barrel, a hammer anda cooking lever, of an element rigid with the barrel, engaging surfaceson the lever at gradually increasing distances from the pivot thereofsaid surfaces being rigid with the lever and coacting with said ele mentfor shifting the cocking lever as the barrel is dropped, and a surfacedisposed at an angle to the other surfaces for arresting the dropping ofthe barrel, said first-mentioned surfaces being normally arrangedsubstantially in front of 'the path in which said element is movablewith the barrel during the detachment and replacement of the barrel,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of a hammer, a barrelprovided with engaging means, and a cocking lever for the hammer, saidcocking lever having a surface rigid therewith arranged above theengaging means provided on the barrel and cooperating with such meansfor causing the cooking lever to cock the hammer, and said cocking leveralso having a surface arranged in front of said engaging means andcooperating therewith for limiting the dropping movement of the barrel,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of a hammer, a barrelprovided with engaging means, and a cocking lever for the hammer, saidcocking lever being provided at its front end with an extension rigidtherewith having a surface arranged above the engaging means provided onthe barrel and slidably cooperating with such means for causing thecocking lever to cock the hammer, said extension also having a surfacearranged in front of said engaging means and coiiperating therewith forlimiting the dropping movement of the barrel, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

10. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of a hammer, a barrelprovided with engaging means fixed thereto,

and a cooking lever for the hammer, said cocking lever being providedwith a part rigid therewith having a surface arranged above the engagingmeans fixed to the barrel and engaging the upper face of such means forcausing the cocking lever to cock the hammer, said part also having asurface arranged in front of said engaging means and engaging the frontface of such means for limiting the drop ping movement of the barrel,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of a hammer, a barrelprovided with engaging means, and a cocking lever, said cocking leverhaving a part thereof rigid therewith and arranged below the engagingmeans pro vided on the barrel and also having a part rigid with theformer part and projecting therefrom in front of such engaging means andhaving a surface above such engaging means and slidably cooperatingtherewith for causing the cooking lever to cock the hammer,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

12. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a bill rel and ahammer, of a cocking lever having a rigid part formed with a slottherein provided with a closed end and an open end, the latter end ofthe slot opening through the upper face of the cocking lever, and fixedmeans carried by the barrel and slidably coacting with the wall of theslot to effect the cocking of the hammer, said means traveling towardthe closed end of the slot in the cock ing action, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

13. In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a barrel, and ahammer, of a cocking lever having a part rigid therewith formed with aslot therein provided with a closed end and an open end, and fixed meanscarried by the barrel and slidably coacting with the wall of the slot toeffect the cocking of the hammer, said means traveling; toward theclosed end of the slot in the cocking action, and passing substantiallythrough the open end of the slot as the barrel reaches its closedposition, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

14, The combination of a hammer, a cocking lever connected to the hammerand having a rigid engaging surface. and a barrel provided with a fixedshoulder ior engaging said rigid surface to actuate the cocking lever,said surface, when the hammer is uncocked, being arranged out of thepath in which said shoulder is movable with the barrel during thedetachment and replacement of the barrel, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

15. The combination of a hammer, a cocking lever having a rigid engagingsurface, means connecting the cocking lever to the hammer for cookingthe hammer and permitting said cocking lever to move independently ofthe hammer when cocked, and a barrel provided with a fixed shoulder forengaging said rigid engaging surface to actuate the cocking lever, saidsurface when the hammer is uncocked, being arranged out of the path inwhich said shoulder is movable with the barrel during the detachment andreplacement of the barrel, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

16. The combination of a hammer, a cocking lever connected to the hammerand provided with a lengthwise rigid shoulder, and a barrel providedwith means for slidably engaging said lengthwise shoulder and actuatingthe cocking lever, said shoulder being normally arranged substantiallyin front of the path in which said means is movable with the barrelduring the detachment and replacement of the barrel, substantially andfor the purpose set forth.

17. The combination of a hammer, a cocking lever connected to the hammerand provided at its free end with a lengthwise shoulder having its frontextremity rigid with the remaining portion of the cocking lever and itslower face and rear extremity separated from the contiguous portion ofsaid lever, and a barrel provided with means for slidably engaging saidlengthwise shoulder and actuating the cocking lever, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

18. The combination of a hammer, a cocking lever provided at its freeend with a lengthwise shoulder having its front extremity rigid with theremaining portion of the cocking lever and its lower face and rearextremity separated from the contiguous portion of said lever. means forconnecting the cocking lever to the hammer for cocking the hammer andpermitting said cocking lever to move independently of the hammer whencocked, and a barrel provided with means for slidably engaging saidlength wise shoulder and actuating the cocking lever. substantially asand for the purpose described.

19. The combination of a hammer, a cocking lever connected to the hammerand provided at its free end with a lengthwise shoulder having itsfront'extremity rigid with the remaining portion of the cocking leverand its lower face and rear extremity separated from the contiguousportion of said lever, and a barrel provided with a fixed shoulder forslidably engaging the former shoulder and actuating the cocking lever,said barrel being movable endwise for disengaging its shoulder from thecocking lever. substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

20. The combination of a hammer, a cocking lever connected to the hammerand having a rigid part provided with a forwardly-extending slot open atits rear end, and a barrel provided with a shoulder movable in saidslot. substantially as and for the purpose specified.

21. The combination of a hammer, a cocking lever con nected to thehammer and having a rigid part provided with a slot extending downwardlyand forwardly from its upper face, and a barrel provided with a fixedshoulder movable in said slot, substantially as and for the purposedescribed,

22. The combination of a hammer, a cocking lever connected to the hammerand having a rigid part provided with a forwardly-extending slot open atits rear end. and a barrel having a lug provided with a groove forreceiving the cocking lever and a shoulder projecting from one of theinner faces of the groove in said lug for entering the slot of thecocking lever, said barrel being movable cndwise for removing theshoulder from the open rear end of the slot in the cocking lever,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo attesting witnesses. at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in theState of New York, this 9th day oi March, 1898.

CHARLES F. LEFEVER.

Witnesses K. H. TIIEOBALD, M. D. Lnwis.

